While 3D printing is coming down in price at a very high pace, 3D printing services and makerspaces are still very good options for the occasional maker who wants to experience his options before making that investment. Fortunately, the number of 3D printing creative spaces is still increasing, and now even XYPrinting – the Taiwanese manufacturer of low-cost 3D printers – is looking beyond desktop 3D printers. In an attempt to make 21rst century technologies more available to the general public, they have just announced that they will set up a creative 3D printing space in the i-House in Taichung, Taiwan. They will also integrate a series of service robots that will provide guidance and instructions.

XYZPrinting (owned by the Kinpo Group) is of course known for their efforts to bring 3D printing to the people with regular budgets. They have been especially succesful with basic models in the sub $500 range, which have enabled them to grow into one of the biggest players in the desktop 3D printer market. That trend is set to continue – with a wide range of new XYZPrinting 3D printer models unveiled at CES a few weeks ago – but it seems that they are now taking their focus on making 3D printing available a lot further.

Simon Shen.

As the president of XYZPrinting (and CEO at New Kinpo Group) Simon Shen explained, this new 3D printing location perfectly fits into their ambition to make 3D printing available to everyone. “XYZ Printing is dedicated to extending 3D printing technology to every household and putting it in the hands of every consumer, and we are optimistic about Taiwan’s potential. Therefore, we are specially launching the 3D printing creative space in i-House in order to allow everyone to come into contact with 3D printing technology,” he said of the new initiative. And it seems like they will be taking this seriously. Not only will users be able to take their 3D printing projects to the i-House in Taichung, the same venue will also be used to host DIY courses and can even be rented out as an educational party experience. XYZPrinting’s products and services will also be made available at the location.

What’s more, the service robots, called XYZrobots, will be integrated into the retail space as well, with the express purpose of making the whole experience at the store more understandable and comfortable. They are 123 cm tall and 45 wide, and are equipped with Android 4.4 and 10.1 inch LCD screens. Able to make connections via WiFi and Bluetooth, they are designed for a host of functions, such as indoor automatic positioning and navigation, IoT control and real-time online customer service. They will also help customers in establishing static plan guidelines and give guidance with the help of smart light systems, ceiling sensors and more.

The idea is that all of the i-House services will be joined with the robotic interface screens, instantly providing users with all the product information they need. Customers can also be personally guided to provide them with instant and interactive digital customer services. Could this be the future of retail?